Based on the September 30th Boston Globe story by Bryan Bender, the call for DADT repeal in the Pentagon’s Joint Force Quarterly is a breakthrough development. The scholarly JFQ article-which was reviewed according to the Globe by the office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen, corroborates what other scientific, professional research has concluded, and what we’ve been saying for almost two decades: Openly gay people in the military will not adversely impact unit cohesion or readiness. What is particularly persuasive is the unequivocal direction given by the report’s author, Colonel Om Prakash: “It is not time for the administration to reexamine the issue; rather it is time for the administration to examine how to implement the repeal of the ban.” Our translation: no more study of the issue is needed; it’s been studied to death. Let’s move out on the specifics of when and how to implement a new policy of nondiscrimination. President Obama and some members of Congress have been calling on the Department of Defense to provide its recommendations on repeal. Well, here’s a roadmap.

Joe Sudbay
On October 27, 2010, Joe was one of five bloggers who interviewed President Obama. Joe is a DC-based political consultant with over twenty-five years of experience at both the state and federal level. Joe has managed political operations and legislative efforts for both candidates and issues-based organizations. For seven years, he was the Director of State Legislation at Handgun Control, Inc. He served as that organization's first Political Director during the 2000 cycle. Joe is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law. In addition, he has a Masters in Public Administration from Lehigh University and received his B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. Joe also has a fun dog, Petey, a worthy successor to Boomer, who got Joe through eight years of Bush and Cheney. Joe likes to think he is a world class athlete having finished the 2005 Chicago Marathon in the time of 4:10. He has completed six other marathons as well -- and is still determined to break the four hour mark.